Cruel, cold Christmas songs

[shereads]

I always got teary over the little drummer boy Xmas TV special, till I saw it last week and realized how crappy the animation is.

Crappy animation makes me sad.

 

[carsonshepherd]

Carson...okay, that makes sense. I guess my parents' dog does the same thing when Dad tickles Mom. 8 pound beagle tearing after my 6'2" 225 pound father. Yup, you go get him, Maggy, you dumb little thing.

My 85-lb dog could hurt you though, so one hesitates to get her too excited.

 

[The_Darkness]

My 85-lb dog could hurt you though, so one hesitates to get her too excited.

Very true. A couple of friends of mine had a 90 pound rotwieler. We were very careful to not overly excite the guy. Or play too rough. Or feed him....er....bring him around...children.

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” was introduced by Judy Garland, as sung to Margaret O’Brien in “Meet Me In Saint Louis.”

At that point of the film O’Brien has run out barefoot in the snow to “kill” all her snowpeople which she must leave behind, just before Christmas, as her family plans to move from St. Louis to New York City.


The original lyrics were much darker:

Christmas future is far away
Christmas past is past
Christmas present is here today
Bringing joy that may last

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
May your heart be light
In a year our troubles will be out of sight
From now on

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the yuletide gay
In a year our troubles will be miles away

Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Precious friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more

I know that
In a year we all will be together
If the Fates allow
Until then, we'll just have to muddle through somehow
And have ourselves a merry little Christmas now.


The song was changed for Judy Garland, who did not like the tone of the lyrics.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
Let your heart be light,
From now on our troubles
Will be out of sight.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on our troubles
Will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore,
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years
We all will be together
If the Fates allow,
Hang a shining star
On the highest bough,
And have yourself
A merry little Christmas now.


As for myself, I have always heard the song as more of a Christmas Challenge than a Christmas Wish.

 

[Amy Sweet]

"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"



Pretty song, especially when sung by Rosemary Clooney. The lyrics are actually cheerful. It's the plaintive melody that seems to have been composed by someone who thought there weren't enough suicides over the holidays.

For some reason, hearing this song makes me feel like a homeless person whose belongings are all stacked in a shopping cart that I stole from a supermarket parking lot. My cart is called "Buddy," or "Happy" and has three good wheels. I live in dread of losing it.

Now that you mention it- it's kinda like being wished "merry christmas" by Eeore.

"Have a happy holliday. I never do..."

 

[Amy Sweet]

My BF and I play fight a lot. Wrestle, smack each other on the ass with wooden cooking utensils, etc.

I just felt that needed to be quoted.

 

[Amy Sweet]

I'll be home for Christmas.

You can count on me.

I'll be home for Christmas.

If only in my dreams.


Now that* is the one that makes me cry.

I used to love the little drummer boy song. But *everybody has to do it. And now it just annoys me. It's lost it's cuteness.

 

[Guest]

 

[lucky-E-leven]

Christmas is sad for adults on a lot of levels, most of which are aggravated by the way it's marketed these days.

What line of work are you in again?

I feel weepy every day for all the square miles of swampland that have fallen victim to development at your hands...

*sniff*

~lucky

Bah Humbug...

 

[Edward Teach]

What line of work are you in again?

I feel weepy every day for all the square miles of swampland that have fallen victim to development at your hands...

*sniff*

~lucky

Bah Humbug...

Thousands of alligator homes destroyed. Baby 'gators with no home for Christmas. Little fellas swimming around looking for their mommies.


Stup Dity

 

[carsonshepherd]

Thousands of alligator homes destroyed. Baby 'gators with no home for Christmas. Little fellas swimming around looking for their mommies.


Stup Dity

I used to be afraid an alligator would come up out the pipes. Wasn't there like a TV thing about that when I was a kid? My parents let me watch the most awful things.

 

[shereads]

What line of work are you in again?

I feel weepy every day for all the square miles of swampland that have fallen victim to development at your hands...

Cheer up, Luckster. I'm not that good at it!

 

[lucky-E-leven]

Cheer up, Luckster. I'm not that good at it!

Your stockings say otherwise...

~lucky

Really going to bed this time.

 

[thebullet]

...

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"

Pretty song, especially when sung by Rosemary Clooney. The lyrics are actually cheerful. It's the plaintive melody that seems to have been composed by someone who thought there weren't enough suicides over the holidays.

For some reason, hearing this song makes me feel like a homeless person whose belongings are all stacked in a shopping cart that I stole from a supermarket parking lot. My cart is called "Buddy," or "Happy" and has three good wheels. I live in dread of losing it.

Shereads,

The song has always been one of my favorities, and one of the few that hints at the dark side of Christmas. It was written for the musical "Meet Me in St. Louis" and was first sung by the movie's star, Judy Garland. IMHO, it's a brilliant mixture of contradictory emtions, but at heart, it's supposed to be melancholy. Her boyfriend and his family are about to move away.

This excerpt from a NPR article may explain why the lyrics seems more upbeat than the melody:
"In the past, other singers have done more upbeat versions: In the '50s, Sinatra had the line "Hang a shining star upon the highest bow" inserted in place of the darker, original line "Until then, we'll have to muddle through, somehow."

--Sinatra version--
Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star
upon the highest bough.
And have yourself
A merry little Christmas now.

--original version--
Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
Until then, we'll
have to muddle through, somehow.
And have yourself
A merry little Christmas now.

James Taylor released a version of the song a couple years ago that sticks to the original lyrics.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

My favorite Christmas song and one that lightenns up my mood considerably is supposed to be a horribly cynical Christmas song.

Namely The Pogues singing "Fairytale in New York"


It was Christmas Eve babe
In the drunk tank
An old man said to me, won't see another one
And then he sang a song
The Rare Old Mountain Dew
And I turned my face away
And dreamed about you

Got on a lucky one
Came in eighteen to one
I've got a feeling
This year's for me and you
So happy Christmas
I love you baby
I can see a better time
When all our dreams come true

They've got cars
Big as bars
They've got rivers of gold
But the wind goes right through you
It's no place for the old

When you first took my hand
On a cold Christmas Eve
You promised me
Broadway was waiting for me

You were handsome
You were pretty
Queen of New York City
When the band finished playing
They howled out for more
Sinatra was swinging
All the drunks they were singing
We kissed on the corner
Then danced through the night

The boys of the NYPD choir
Were singing 'Galway Bay'
And the bells were ringing
Out for Christmas day

You're a bum
You're a punk
You're an old slut on junk
Living there almost dead on a drip
In that bed

You scum bag
You maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Happy Christmas your arse
I pray God
It's our last

I could have been someone
So could anyone
You took my dreams
From me when I first found you
I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Can't make it all alone
I've built my dreams around you

 

[Seattle Zack]

I was always a little creeped out by the lyrics to "We Wish you a Merry Christmas" ....

We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.

OK, so that's not too bad ...

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer

So, get us drunk is what they're chanting ... get the fuck out of my house, instead. And what the hell is a 'figgy pudding'? Aint no American holiday tradition, I'll tell you that.

We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here

Pretty goddamn demanding ... Jesus, everyone's drunk by now. Reminds me of the in-laws when I was married and we used to invite her family over for the holidays. Took forever to get ol' drunk Uncle Harry out of there

We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Yeah yeah just get in your cars and don't tear up the lawn too much

I hate the holidays.

 

[Somme]

She was George's aunt Rosemary. A chanteuse, as you would say, and quite the babe in her day.

Ohhhhhh......THAT aunt. I was quite envious of Georges' model railway....

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Chrissie Hynde's version of have yourself a merry is the most depressing version and yet the coolest.

 

[Vincent E]

My dogs go insane when they hear that. (The one in my av picture goes nuts when she hears any sort of smacking or spanking... )

May I borrow that dog for the weekend?

Cold, cruel Chrsitmas songs:
The aforementioned Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer, Donde est el Santa Claus, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.

I have an album of Christmas Blues songs. Fucking depressing stuff, except that the songs are so great I cannot help enjoying them. Try this one for a season of groovin' blues.

 

[shereads]

I have an album of Christmas Blues songs. Fucking depressing stuff, except that the songs are so great I cannot help enjoying them. Try this one for a season of groovin' blues. [/B]

I love the song list. Surprisingly, it's missing one by Blind Lemon Jefferson that I heard this a.m. on NPR:

It's the day before Christmas
Baby hear me moan
It's the day before Christmas
Baby hear me moan
It's the day before Christmas
Please don't leave me alone

Had a lotta chances
Baby give me just one more
Had a lotta chances...

(etc.)

How can Baby refuse to give just one mo' chance to a man named Blind Lemon, with a voice like that? It's the day before Christmas!

 

[ABSTRUSE]

bump for Christmas.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

This little ditty always said a lot to me; all of which was bad.

--

Verse 1
Grandma got run over by a reindeer Walkin' home from our house Christmas eve. You can say there's no such thing as Santa, But as for me and Grandpa, we believe.

Verse 2
She'd been drinkin' too much egg nog, And we'd begged her not to go. But she'd left her medication, So she stumbled out the door into the snow.

Verse 3
When they found her Christmas mornin', At the scene of the attack. There were hoof prints on her forehead, And incriminatin' Claus marks on her back.

Verse 4
Grandma got run over by a reindeer, Walkin' home from our house Christmas eve. You can say there's no such thing as Santa, But as for me and Grandpa, we believe.

Verse 5
Now were all so proud of Grandpa, He's been takin' this so well. See him in there watchin' football, Drinkin' beer and playin' cards with cousin Belle.

Verse 6
It's not Christmas without Grandma. All the family's dressed in black. And we just can't help but wonder: Should we open up her gifts or send them back?

--

There are more verses. But I'll spare you the pain and anguish.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[ABSTRUSE]

This little ditty always said a lot to me; all of which was bad.

--

Verse 1
Grandma got run over by a reindeer Walkin' home from our house Christmas eve. You can say there's no such thing as Santa, But as for me and Grandpa, we believe.

Verse 2
She'd been drinkin' too much egg nog, And we'd begged her not to go. But she'd left her medication, So she stumbled out the door into the snow.

Verse 3
When they found her Christmas mornin', At the scene of the attack. There were hoof prints on her forehead, And incriminatin' Claus marks on her back.

Verse 4
Grandma got run over by a reindeer, Walkin' home from our house Christmas eve. You can say there's no such thing as Santa, But as for me and Grandpa, we believe.

Verse 5
Now were all so proud of Grandpa, He's been takin' this so well. See him in there watchin' football, Drinkin' beer and playin' cards with cousin Belle.

Verse 6
It's not Christmas without Grandma. All the family's dressed in black. And we just can't help but wonder: Should we open up her gifts or send them back?

--

There are more verses. But I'll spare you the pain and anguish.

Rumple Foreskin

Worse yet, they made a cartoon version of it...my eyes are still bleeding.